Protective collar for drill pipes



Aug. 12, 1952 H. E. MARSH PROTECTIVE COLLAR FOR DRILL PIPs's Filed Nov. 14, 1949 INVENTOR. hOWA/PD 5. MARSH Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFlCEjT PROTECTIVE COLLAR FOR DRILL PIPES Howard E. Marsh, Ventura, Calif. Application November 14, 1949, Serial No. 126,993

My invention relates to a protective collar p ticularly adapted for well drill pipes.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a protective collar of this class which may be readily placed around any portion between the ends of a well drill pipe, and which, when placed around the pipe, may be readily locked circumferentially and frictionally secured in the desired position therearound against longitudinal movement.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a collar of this class which, when closed or locked around a pipe, or the like, may be easily moved to the desired position longitudinally of the pipe, or the like, and then easily secured in such position.

2 Claims. (Cl. 308-4) An important object also is the provision of a collar in the form of a diametrically expansible casing, and one which may be so expanded and also frictionally secured to the pipe by means of a readily inflatable, pneumatic tube within the casing.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a novelly and simply constructed casing for retaining the tube when inflated and for Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my protective collar in one form, showing the same placed around a pipe, and showing portions of the collar broken away and in section to facilitate the illustration Fig. 2 is a top end view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof, taken through 3-3 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the same, partly open, for placing around a pipe, portions being broken away and in section to facilitate 'the'il lustration.

My protective collar, as shown in the drawings, is placed around and mounted on a pipe P. My invention, as shown, consists essentially of a casing l, a locking pin 2, and a tube 3.

Both the casing I and the tube 3 are molded of rubber, neoprene, or other similar flexible 2 and resilient material. a thick walled member and substantially retains its intended shape,- while the tube 3 may be highly flexible and is adapted to be inflated witl'i air, or other gas, and when so inflated conforms to the interior of the casing and the walls ofthe- The casing l is cylindrical in shape and is holwhich the pipe extends. The casing is split at one side on a plane which may extend through the longitudinal axis pro viding abutting portions I and I At .the opposite ends of the casing are provided circum ferential extensions l forming ears whichextend into conforming recesses I also at theopposite ends of the casing. The Years I extend. circumferentiallybeyond theface I? and are positioned at the opposite ends. of the portion having the face I thus providing overlapping portions through which the pin '2 extends, that is, the pin extends parallel to the axis of the casing through the ears l and through the portion extending between the recesses l The abutting surfaces of the ears I F and adjacent sides of the recesses l are slightly inclined, thatis, the adjacent'sides l are divergent to.permitthe;interlocking and overlapping'portions'to be readily interpositioned, as shown in Fig. l.

The upper end of the'pin 2 is shown as having a flat head 2* which is flush with the upper end of the casing. The lower end of the pin has a reduced threaded portion 2 to limit the downward extension of the pin. On the threaded end is a flat nut 4 which is preferably flush with the bottom end'of the casing.

The void formed within the casing I is of only partial circular extent, as shown in Fig. 3. The end i of the void is spaced from the face l 01 the casing by a wall thickness while the other end l of the void is spaced a substantially equal distance from the pin 2. The radially inner ends of the portions forming said free ends are provided with fins I and I which rest against the surface of the pipe. Similarly, the radially inner portions of the end walls l and 1 of the casing have fins I and l which similarly engage the outer surface of the pipe P. When the tube 3, placed within the void, is inflated with air, or other gas, the fins I 1, I and I, are securely seated against the surface of the pipe, sealing the tube within the void and also securely and frictionally retaining the casing, and therefore The casing is preferably the protective collar, in the desired position on the pipe P.

The tube has a valve located within a valve stem 5 which extends from the tube through a hole in one of the end walls of the casing whereby the tube may be readily inflated. The valve stem may be secured to such end wall of the casing by a nut 6 located Within a recess P, as shown in Fig. 1 In this manner, the outer end of the valve stem is protected.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A collar of the class described, comprising a resilient, rubber-like, annular casing having a split portion at one side whereby the casin may be opened at one side for folding it around a pipe, thesplit portionconsisting of normally abutted and :overlappingportions, the latter portions overlapping "each; othercireumi'erentially betweenthelaxial ends of the casing, a pin'extendingparallel'with the axis of the casing through the :overlapping portions, the casing having therein and at the inner side thereof a partially circular void open at the bore side of the casing and extending circumferentially to near the verlap ing M ns a m h x ll spaced ends so, as to provide axially-spaced end walls and circumierentially-spaced,axially exendin wal s a d e flex e t s ub pest ides withinilie 191% he int r or of the iilbs and ea h inas bstan iflb f th am: t er. stin rise he. ube h v n a val e s m amend ng-throu h end o the casing. theiseees oi the. ax a ly-spaced end] walls oi the. i s baring ann lar. exible, we ge-l ke -1 t e. toward sash. oth r and a ab e o d i l y inwardly a a nst t e pea -sp ls to adia -i ward ivi vaele e tedt sl: as 'ns br the t be Whenthe atter .i iclisteneed said axially-ex end n wa ls oi -the e s ng ha g inner curved s r qe s b steni lellv.. .vnf mi t0 t e er phera surface Pine n dis osed edi qent t ereto, Said tendin we lsal e baili ssvb amia ly ext ndin su faces ai axiallr-exten ns andcu ved-sl 1 sie esto t e defi in o itending parallel with the axis of the casing and through the overlapping portions to retain the casing i r r po sition encircling the pipe, said casing having a relatively deep depression in its inner arcua'te surface, the sides and ends of said depression terminating inwardly of the longitudinally-spaced ends of the casing and the abutting portions thereof to provide a continuous wall surrounding the depression and having an inner urved surface en a n wi h the perip ry o the pipe, said continuous Wall having a continu-= ous extension oi Wed e-like shape overlying the depression, said extension having a curved surface conforming to the periphery of the pipe, and a flexible, distensible inner tube disposed Withinthe depression, the inner diameters of the tube and casing being substantially equal to the external diameter of the pipe, the tube having a valve stem extending through one end of thecasing, said tube, when distended, exerting radially inward iorce against saidcontinuous extension so as to force the extension into sealing .-en-,

easement. with t e Per s e 0f t e p p EF N ES CI ED The following references are of record in "the file of this patent: H

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 666,541 Moser Jan. 22, 1901 1,261,754 Baker Apr. 9, 1918 1,764,488 Zublin June 17, .1930 1,854,339 Lamb Apr; 19, 1932 1,938,822 Ferlin .1 Dec. 12, 1933 2 35 41 a dst ne u 1.944 

